Coping strategy: a strong faith

Last September, when Michael Blakeley learned his wife Diana had stage III cancer, his first thought was: “Let’s pray.”

As he prayed, other worries surfaced.

“I thought, how am I going to care for her? I have a full-time job, a house, responsibilities. But God changed my attitude. Not only was it my responsibility to take care of her, it was a privilege.”

Determined to be the best caregiver possible, Blakeley learned everything he could to support Diana’s treatment.

“One of the toughest things can be figuring out, what do I learn about and what do I ignore?” he said, echoing the sentiments of many survivors and their loved ones who have read or heard a frightening story about cancer. For moments like that, the Blakeleys turned to their faith for guidance.

Today, his wife is cancer-free. Blakeley said, “I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone, but for us, faith definitely got us through.”